Pipe wrench clamp



Dec. 15, 19 70 v. ca. LOREE PIPE WRENCH CLAMP Filed Aug. z. 1958 v INVENTOR. VERNON G. LOREE BY J/I's )4775RflE/l5 (M /v (ewe Mu e 4 62 11;

United States Patent 3,546,983 PIPE WRENCH CLAMP Vernon G. Loree, Box 65, Hope, Mich. 48628 Filed Aug. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 749,729 Int. Cl. B25b 13/58 US. Cl. 81-180 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clamp for use in clamping a pipe between the jaws of a pipe wrench comprises a pair of parallel, curved spring arms joined at corresponding ends to a coil of such size as slideably to accommodate the handle of the wrench, the opposite ends of the arms being reversely curved to provide knees adapted to engage the pipe. The clamp is slideable longitudinally of the wrench handle to efiect engagement between the knees and the pipe whereupon the arms are deflected and stressed, thereby canting the coil on the wrench handle and frictionally holding the clamp in engagement with the pipe.

This invention relates to a clamp which is especially adapted for use in conjunction with a pipe wrench for releaseably clamping a pipe between the jaws of a pipe wrench. More particularly, the invention pertains to a clamp composed of springy, resilient material which is adjustable relatively to the wrench and which, in use, is self-locking in clamping engagement.

A conventional pipe wrench has a fixed jaw at one end of a handle that cooperates with an adjustable jaw to secure a pipe or rod between the jaws. The movable jaw is so mounted that both it and the fixed jaw grip the pipe in one direction of rotation of the wrench about the axis of the pipe, but slips along the pipe in the opposite direction of rotation so as to enable the wrench to function in the manner of a ratchet wrench. Due to the looseness of the mounting of the movable jaw it is virtually impossible to apply the wrench to a pipe and then release the wrench without having the wrench fall ofi? the pipe.

When coupling two pipe sections to one another it frequently is necessary to make use of two pipe wrenches simultaneously so as to enable the two pipe sections to be rotated in opposite directions. If one person must join the pipes in end to end relation and hold them in readiness for relative rotation, that person obviously cannot manipulate two wrenches simultaneously. Thus, it usually is necessary for two persons to cooperate with each person manipulating one wrench.

An object pf this invention is to provide a clamp which may be supported on a pipe wrench and which engages a pipe accommodated between the jaws of the wrench in such manner as to enable the wrench to be self-supporting on the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp of the character described-and in which the clamp is capable of use with any size pipe accommodated by the wrench. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe wrench clamp construction wherein the clamp is selfholding in clamping position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamp of the kind referred to and which does not interfere with or impede accommodation of a pipe between the jaws of the wrench.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:

3,546,983 Patented Dec. 15, 1970 FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, isometric view of a pipe Wrench on which is mounted a clamp and illustrating the clamp in two positions of adjustment; and

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the clamp itself.

A clamp constructed in accordance with the invention is adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional pipe wrench 1 having an elongated handle 2 terminating at one end in a fixed jaw 3 having serrated teeth 4. A yoke 5 is pivoted as at 6 on the handle 2 adjacent the jaw 3. Extending through the yoke is the shank 7 of a jaw 8 having serrated teeth 9 confronting the teeth 4. The yoke is provided with an opening 10 in which is mounted a knurled, threaded nut 11 through which the shank 7 extends. The shank has threads 12 in threaded engagement with the nut 11. The arrangement is such that rotation of the nut 11 in one direction or the other will cause the jaw 8 to move toward or away from the jaw 3. A pipe 13 may be accommodated between the jaws.

The jaw 8 is so mounted by the yoke 5 as to enable the jaw to rock about the axis of the pivot 6, thereby enabling the wrench to grip tightly the pipe 13 in one direction of rotation and slip on the pipe in the opposite direction of rotation. For example, if the wrench handle 2 is swung in one direction from the position shown in FIG. 1, the pipe 13 also will be rotated in that direction. Rotation of the wrench in the opposite direction, however, will not cause rotation of the pipe inasmuch as the jaw 8 will rock about the axis of the pivot 6 so as to provide more space between the jaws 3 and 8. If desired, a release spring 14 may be provided to react between the handle 2 and the yoke 5 so as to bias the jaw 8 to a predetermined position with respect to the jaw 3.

A clamp constructed in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference character 15 and comprises a single length of spring wire shaped to provide a pair of elongated, curved arms 16 and 17, corresponding ends of which are reversely curved on a smaller radius to provide knees 18 and 19 for engagement with the pipe 13. The opposite ends of the arms 16 and 17 are joined to a pair of coils 20 which provide a preferably elliptical opening 21 the major axis of which is slightly longer than the width of the wrench handle 2 so as to permit the handle to be accommoated within the coils 20 and permit the clamp 15 to he slid freely longitudinally of the wrench handle.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 2, the arms 16 and 17 are curved in the plane of their length and lie on one side of the handle, but the curvature of the arms 16 and 17, including the knee portions 18 and 19, is such that, when the clamp is installed on the handle 2, the knee portions 18 and 19 will extend beyond the other side of the wrench.

To condition the clamp for use, it is so oriented with respect to the wrench that the handle 2 may he slid into the opening 21 and with the arms 16 and 17 straddling the handle and lying on that side of the wrench which is opposite the side toward which the opening between the jaws 3 and 8 faces. The pipe 13 may be accommodated between the jaws and the nut 11 rotates so as to adjust the jaws toward one another until they grip the pipe. The clamp 15 then may be slid toward the jaw end of the wrench until the knee portions 18 and 19 bear against the pipe 13. This is the position of the clamp shown in full lines in FIG. 1. The clamp then may be slid an additional distance toward the jaw end of the wrench, whereupon the knees 18 and 19 will be forced to move upwardly, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, thereby rocking the entire clamp 15 about the coils 20 so as to cause the upper and lower edges of the coils to bind on the wrench handle. Further sliding movement of the clamp will cause the arms 16 and 17 to be deflected and stressed. The resilience of the arms will end to restore the arms to their non-stressed condition, but since the knees 18 and 19 are in engagement with the pipe 13 the arms cannot be returned to their unstressed condition. Accordingly, the pipe 13 is urged constantly toward seating engagement between the jaws 3 and 8 and the coils 20 are maintained in canted condition on the handle 2, thereby fractionally maintaining the clamp in place.

An important characteristic of the invention is that the arrangement of the clamp on the wrench interferes in no way with the ordinary use of the wrench. That is, the wrench does not obstruct entry of the pipe into the space between the jaws of the wrench. Moreover, inasmuch as the arms 16 and 17 are resilient, they do not preclude free relative rotation between the pipe and the wrench when the latter is rocked counterclockwise about the axis of the pipe 13.

The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred form of the invention, but it is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp for a pipe wrench or the like having a pair of spaced apart jaws at one end of a handle and between which an article is adapted to be clamped, said clamp comprising at least one arm for engagement with an article between said jaws; and means carried by said arm for attaching the latter to said wrench, said arm being resilient so as to enable said arm to be deflected upon its engagement with said article, the deflection of said arm stressing the latter whereby the resilience of said arm maintains said arm in forcible engagement with said article.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein said attaching means normally is slideable along said handle and wherein reflection of said arm disables sliding of said attaching means relatively to said handle.

3. The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein 4 said attaching means comprises a loop of such size as to accommodate the handle of said wrench therein.

4. The construction set forth in claim :1 wherein said arm has a reversely curved portion forming a knee for engagement with said article.

5. The construction set forth in claim 1 including a second arm connected at one end to said attaching means and being spaced from and parallel to said one arm.

6. A clamp for a pipe wrench or the like comprising a pair of spaced apart, elongated, resilient arms, each of said arms terminating at one end in a reversely curved extension and the other end of each of said arms being joined to a loop the plane of which lies athwart the plane of the length of each of said arms, said loop defining an opening having its axis substantially parallel to the planes of the lengths of said arms.

7. The construction set forth in claim 6 wherein said loop is elliptical.

8. The construction set forth in claim 7 wherein said loop includes a plurality of coils.

9. The construction set for in claim 6 wherein each of said arms is curved in the plane of its length between said loop and said extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 416,096 11/1889 Dom 269166 656,622 8/1900 Barnes 81146 2,230,769 2/ 1941 Tegerdine. 3,179,741 4/1965 Wells 2671X FOREIGN PATENTS 242,764 11/1925 Great Britain.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 24-230.S 

